Hello friends and happy Friday! Welcome to the weekend! Do you have any plans for this third weekend of October?? I mentioned the other day that it is fall festival season around here and one of most favorites is this weekend. And the weather is supposed to fall festival perfection. The makings of a great weekend for us:) Not sure what else we will get up to over the next few days but, if it has anything to due with a pumpkin spice frame of mind, well, I am ready for it. Even found a few (almost forgotten about) fall sweatshirts in the back of my closet! I am ready to dress the part:)
Earlier this week we were in Lancaster. Pennsylvania – not California. It rained the entire first day we were away, but even with less than exciting weather, we had a good time. Lancaster is just my happy place. (Sorry if I mentioned that already a time or three!) I was looking through the photos on my phone and…um, there were lots of fields. More than a few farms. And even quite a few farm animals. Not exactly exciting but, oh well, as promisesd I will share a couple.
This picture was taken due to “following the crowd.” I was in a parking lot (trying to take a photo of a beautiful red tree for my photo challenge) when I saw a large (and growing) group of people snapping photos. My curiosity getting the best of me, I walked that way. I saw an expansive field of corn. Pretty? Yes but these folks were apparently more city slickered than even me.
And then I noticed the Amish farmer harvesting the crop. Yes, I took a photo as well. But then I really felt badly for the man. Such a crowd of gawkers. They were far enough away as to not offend him (I believe) but they (er, we) sure did look silly.
Everything goes so beautifully in Lancaster. I have been told the area has the “perfect” soil. It is used the set the standard for testing, etc. Even in mid-October, the gardens were huge and bountiful. Everything was green and just…well, beautiful.
There is no shortage of natural fertilizer either. I love cows. I even love the smell of cows. (I’m not kidding.) My husband has a soft spot for donkeys but I love cows. (And sheep.) To have that farmhouse on the top of the hill would be a dream come true. I’m definitely not a farmer and not sure what I would do with all that farmland but I do know that I would never tire of the view!
I’m so glad we were able to soak in a little of Lancaster’s fall beauty!! Do you have a favorite place to enjoy this season? Or do you have a “happy place” where you like to escape and come away refreshed? I’d love to hear about it.
Speaking of questions…..I love to hear from all of you. I love to “dialogue” a bit in the comments. Several years ago, I had a post series entitled Friday with Friends. I would pose a question and invite readers to join in by way of commenting or to include their own full post on the question. It was fun and I’m not sure why I let it go. But I am thinking of starting it again. I will probably do so every other Friday and will include the question on the Wednesday before. Nothing fancy. Just my way of “chatting with friends over coffee” blog style. I hope you will join me. I will start next Friday.
That said, thank you to each of you who visit here so regularly. I am grateful for you. I hope you have a great weekend and look forward to your stopping by again on Monday!!
Great pictures, Jennifer! I giggled at your city slickered remark! Ok, so to clarify (not your fault; it´s early and my brain is not totally working yet), the people were taking pictures of the Amish man working in the field, not just of a random corn field, correct? I didn´t know that about Lancaster´s soil. Where I grew up in northern IN, apparently we had great soil for growth. We have clay-y soil here and what I wouldn´t give for some better soil for my garden. Ah, but the ¨bad soil¨ does kind of make me even more proud of my garden produce. Well, I´m digressing from your post- I did enjoy it and I´d love to dialogue with you on Fridays with a question. Have a great Friday and weekend!
Oh, I love the Friday with Friends idea! And I’m a donkey and cow person, but especially cows! My dad had them when I was younger and he would tell me the breeds of them and I just developed a fondness for them. Anytime I see them, it warms my heart 🙂
The Amish community absolutely fascinates me. I love their sense of community. I watched a tv programme once where a group of Amish teenagers ‘swapped lives’ with a group of teenagers living a typical American life and it was so interesting to see the impact it had on both groups.
I like that idea of Friday with Friends! Getting to know each other is always so enlightening.
I enjoyed your photos of Lancaster. I love farms and farm scenes and I’ve always wanted to visit Amish country.
Have a great weekend.
I enjoyed your Lancaster pictures, Jennifer. There is a good bit of farmland (although not Amish) around me. I think one of my ‘happy places’ is Williamsburg. I really like your idea of Friday with Friends. Sounds like a good way to “chat and visit”. Enjoy the weekend’s fall festival! I am meeting up with several stitching friends today and tomorrow; I am attending Open Studio at Notforgotten Farm.
I had lived in Lancaster County for about 9 years – all of high school and until getting married at 23, then we moved to the neighboring county. My parents are still in Lancaster, closer to Millersville. We had come from Long Island, NY so I get your city slicker reference lol. One thing about Lancaster is you can tell who the visitors are just by the way they pronounce Lancaster (have you learned the correct way?). It really is a beautiful area but I can’t say I have gotten used to that cow manure smell. Your Friday with Friends sounds great.
Happy Friday, dear Jennifer. I enjoyed every one of the photos that you shared from your visit to Lancaster….especially the one with the cows. I grew up on a dairy farm. When I was in high school, my job was to bring in the cows for the evening milking once I got home.
Your Friday with Friends sounds like a lot of fun! I’m looking forward to participating. 🙂
Have fun at the fall festival this weekend! Tomorrow’s weather is to be beautiful. We will be attending the memorial service of a friend from church tomorrow and then church on Sunday.
Hello Friend, I too love cows. When I traveled to California a few years ago, my friend Tracey laughed and laughed as I said, oh look at the cows, oh look at the cows so many times. I just love seeing them outside. 🙂
Enjoy your weekend,
Carla
The southern Maine coast tends to be my happy place.. but we really only ever seem to visit from May- October. I’m not sure how I’d feel about it in say, December. I’ve been to Lancaster a few times as well and it is a lovely area. We are supposed to have some lovely fall weather this weekend too and I’m so glad since we have one last college tour to attend. I hate college tours in the cold or the rain.
Your seasonal photos are delightful Jennifer. Bring on the pumpkin spice 🙂 I have been transferring all summer clothes into their storage area this week. It’s still nice and warm in the day but cooler at night. Perfect sleeping weather! I enjoyed going through the Lancaster area years ago, beautiful country and you took splendid photos! I like the idea of you asking a question and encouraging us to answer I look forward to it. Happy rest of the weekend to you my friend.
That area is so pretty…and I do love the Amish community. I often wonder could I live like that? No internet, no power etc. Anyways, thanks for the smiles.
Hello! I am so happy you had a nice time in Lancaster! It is so peaceful and quaint, and when we drive through, I always enjoy the views. I think your Friday idea is great. I will be watching out for it. Have a cozy evening, my friend.
What a lovely trip you had. I live down the dirt road from a farm. So, the cows and smells are not far away.
I live in NH so this time of year is all about color and beautiful fall weather.
Cathy
I used to live about an 1 1/2 hour drive away at one time but never went!! GAH! your photos are lovely and now I wish I would have gone there.